Prayers for August 19, 2001
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11th after Pentecost, Proper 15

Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 80)
Leader: O Shepherd of Israel, hear our prayers!
People: Stir up Your might, and come to save us!
Leader: Give us life, and we will call on your name.
People: Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved.

Prayer of Confession
Righteous Lord, so often we pursue peace at all costs. But in doing so, we allow injustices to continue unchallenged. We permit racial slurs to be uttered in our presence, but we remain silent, for fear of causing a scene. We see poor people suffering from neglect, but we do not ask our legislators to act, because we do not want to viewed as radical activists. We know members of our own families who have fallen away from the church, but we hesitate to say anything, because we do not want to cause hard feelings. God of justice, lead us to break through our silence. Grant us a passion to pursue Your ways, regardless of how others may react to us. We ask this in Your holy name. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer
God of glory, in the midst of these late days of summer, this time of year we often refer to as the Dog Days, many people across the land swelter from the heat. As the hot rays of the sun beat down upon us, our strength is sapped from us, and we attempt to combat the rising temperatures by remaining as idle as possible. In the same way, as the heat of Your burning presence draws near to us, we feel overwhelmed, and at times even paralyzed into inactivity.
Just as Moses encountered Your flaming presence at the burning bush, may we also behold You in all Your glory. Enable us to hear Your voice and to respond by giving our very lives in Your service. Just as the disciples experienced the dancing flames on Pentecost, may we likewise develop a flaming passion to carry out Your holy mission. Stir us from complacency and self-satisfaction, so that we might journey forth in the directions that You would have us go. In the name of our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication
God of wisdom, You equip us in every way to accomplish the mighty deeds that You would have us do. But so often we allow those blessings to sit idly by. Open our eyes to discover the vast resources You have endowed us with. Then guide our steps that we might move forward, using all that we have to show our thankfulness for Your great goodness to us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.